Pajiba

I caught up on this show over the weekend. It's kind of growing on me, but I do find aspects of it frustrating (mostly Hannah, sometimes I want to smack her) and unworthy of the praise and award nominations.
But I'm probably going to keep watching and see how it goes.

I really disagree that it's the best comedy out there though. I don't even think of it as a comedy - I've never laughed at any of it, and never felt like I was supposed. Veep is far funnier to me, and that doesn't even get a laugh out of me, like Parks & Rec, Community, 30 Rock, Sunny, and even Raising Hope do.

This show is garbage. Writer doesn't understand what a meathead is. Every chick on the show is boarder line foul, if not completely foul (I'm looking at you Dunham).

cool, finally a show that caters to the the lowest common denominator..."meatheads" ;) can't wait! Because that's what I look for in a show.

agreed. it's great.

I kept recording it hoping that it would be worthwhile. Sounds like it is. I've got Veep and Girls stacked up on the DVR and are planning to marathon both shortly. The gifs above are pretty damn funny.

I don't think the writer knows what a meathead is.

With literally thousands of entertainment options, I'm fascinated and astonished that people will continue watching a show they hate, in some cases for five episodes. "I hate this show, it's horrible, it's terrible, it sucks. Is it on again next week? Cool."

Jesus Christ, people, do you know how that makes you sound?

I think this is the first show i just don't get. Like i hated the first episode and really just hate the character of hannah, which is a problem since she is the main character. But when the show is on marnie or jessa, it's funny and feels like what it's like right now as a 20-something person. But hannah is just a terrible person, nothing she has ever done has been the least bit realistic. And since i don't believe her, nothing she does is very funny. She just seems spoiled and dumb. Not young or naive but dumb.

Like we're supposed to hate Adam right? cause the show keeps changing whether they want us to like him or not. Ugh! Get rid of those two characters and we're all set!

Wow girls kissing and masturbating! You don't have to sugar coat it. This meathead is sold!

Wait a minute they're not going to complain about it later in Miss Representation 2: Electric Bugaloo?

Does it make me a sexist meathead if the show just bores the christ out of me? I'll openly admit that the show has induced a good number of chuckles from me and even a couple of genuine laughs but for the most part I find myself and my friends to be watching it in silence. It's not even that I actively dislike the show or the characters, I just don't care. I felt the same way after the first episode; everyone was all pissed off at the show and it's characters but I couldn't have cared less. After I read around I decided to give "Girls" a chance to improve but I still just don't care.

"Community" has unlikable characters, nothing ever happens on "Seinfeld", "Parks and Rec" is based around strong female characters; the difference is those shows are all very funny. Lena Dunham does seem to have potential but the key to unlocking it is going to be finding her own distinct voice. Right now "Girls" feels like Judd Apatow by-way-of mumblecore and it's not very good

I've never seen the first or second episodes, which, according to the above, are the worst. I've seen the third and part of the fourth -- and I just can't get into this show. It's not that I can't relate, or that the acting is bad. I just don't find it very funny, or witty, or humorous, or even particularly compelling.

It's four twenty-somethings in the big city and their problems. I get it; I was once a twenty-something in the big city (other coast) with problems. They have borderline destructive relationships with other twenty-somethings -- been there, done that. They're struggling financially -- I did that too, and if nothing else, the show makes me intensely glad that I have a decent job. I don't have to relate to characters to enjoy a show; after all, I don't have much in common with Joffrey OR Arya, and I love watching both of them. But the women of Girls are just so ordinary, so prosaic, so ... blah, that I have a hard time mustering up any interest in their lives. I realize YMMV, and if the show speaks to you in any way, that's awesome. It doesn't say much to me.

Nope.

While I agree that people (men) should muscle through the first couple of episodes and really give this show a legitimate try to capture them, I can't say that it's the best comedy airing in the last two years (Community, Parks and Rec, Louie, just to name three off the top of my head). The thing that keeps me watching is despite the fact that I actively hate 95% of the characters on this show it's doing something special that keeps me tuned in. The sheer ridiculousness of some of the situations and characters are funny. I at once love and hate this show and the fact that it can make me feel anything at all is a credit to its creators. So yes watch this show... but don't go in thinking it's some masterpiece of comedy.

I Liked the show from the beginning. I wouldn't say I love it though. I admit that the only reason I keep coming back is reason 20. Hubba,Hubba and may I add Hubba.

I absolutely love Girls. It reminds me of all the douchebags I dated back in the day, all the crap jobs I had, the crap fashion sense I sported, and makes me really, really glad I'm not in my early 20's anymore. I suspect all the sneering reviews and comments i've seen about Girls is patronising sexism.

Jemima Kirke is eye candy?

Look Dustin, if you add one more word to the autoblock filter, any post that follows the word "birth" with "certificate" will be put in monitirial purgatory. Then the people on this site will never be able to make fun of the 2014 Adam Sandler film about a Jewish man running for president accused of being born in Israel by Alaska's leading Scientologist.

Why the hell are people uncomfortable with a word everyone in the world either came out of, or was pumped into? 

Hold on. I'm still trying to find a reason to give a crap about rich white people problems.

This article is my favourite thing I have read on here! I love Girls and I am happy to see it getting the recognition it deserves. Haters gon' hate I say.

The first episode was horrendous, and I really hated every last character.  I still pretty much hate every character, but the situations they're in have become more humorous, so I enjoy it more.  It's like It's Always Sunny... in that way (although I find IASIP far superior): complete shitheads end up in shitty situations and I find that humorous.  The only exception is the British character.  She's awful and nothing awful enough has happened to her yet for me to find humorous.

I watched the first 5 episodes, and stopped halfway through the sixth. For me to hate Adam so much, the writing and acting HAVE to be great. But, unfortunately that isn't enough. I actively dislike all the characters on the show. They are all either stupid, self obsessed, sociopathic, or just plain nasty. Maybe this is Lena Dunham's intent - if so, she's succeeded wonderfully.

As far as I've seen and heard people don't like it because of the meatheads that occupy the show along with I guess a bunch of the female equivalents of meatheads.

It is without a doubt the best comedy on television now.  Or this year. Or last.

No.  It's not the best comedy on television now.  Or in the 10 PM EST hour Sundays.  Or in the 10 PM EST hour on Sundays on HBO.

I am no sexist meathead.  I have been to multiple Lilith Fairs.

 According to Dustin anyone who hates "Girls" is a sexist meathead , so is Dustin a self indulgent dick for liking "Girls".

without a doubt the best comedy on television now( that is some Rowles worthy bullshit)

The reason for the success this show has achieved is that it appeals to chubby white chicks and guys whose female friends are chubby white chicks.  For a guy, liking this show is a great way to convince women you're not shallow,  that you "get" them or at least are attempting to.  Which is fine if you can't get laid any other way.

For the chunky broads who find it "relatable" and "true-to-life," of course they're gonna say that.  Lawyers like lawyer shows and cops like cop shows and doctors like medical shows--because it makes the thing they do look sexy and glamorous. If somebody were to create a show in which bloggers are shown to be tortured and sexy and deep, you better believe it would  receive a thousand fawning reviews like this one.

So what your saying is that anyone who isn't a perfect 10 should even try to pretend like they live an interesting life because the beautiful people all know that that is a complete lie? 

Also, believe it or not, not every single interaction a guy ever has with a girl is motivated by a desire to fuck them. Just because the only reason you would lower yourself by attempting to "get" a chubby girl would be to trick them into sleeping with you doesn't mean everyone is like that

Oh, Mr. Completely...you clever card, you.

Oooh, a pookie-lite.

No doctors I know like medical shows. And nurses hate them.

best burn I've read all week!

All that need be said in rebuttal is, those two bowsers fit your definition of "eye candy"? 
Any scenes of them chasing cars or chewing on slippers?

Oh you poor, tasteless asshole... That "Chunky Broad" has the face of Brigitte Bardot.

and an ass like Rihanna.

Brigitte Bardot now?

I tried my best, but the show's just not for me.  I just find all the characters, other than Shoshana, to be annoyingly self-centered and selfish.  Their "friendship" doesn't seem genuine at all.  Granted, there are plenty of shows I've watched about self-centered and selfish people that were enjoyable, but none of those shows really ever seemed to imply that I should empathize with those characters.  Yeah, you can laugh at the antics and crazy world view (see, Seinfeld or Curb), but you're never expected to empathize with any of those characters.  That's the problem I have with "Girls".   I can't find any empathy or sympathy or anything other than annoyance for Marnie, Hanah and Jessa.

The only characters I have liked are Shoshana, Ray and Hannah's parents.  I think his name is Ray.  The dude who brought the opim tea and chased cracked out Shoshana around.   

I do love "Veep."  Been enjoying that one immensely. 

Adam is the reason I watch the show.  He's like a goofy sociopath.  I'm not sure I've seen a character like him before.  He's just an ordinary dick in one moment, and then he seems strangely vulnerable in another.  He seems as confused by his behavior as Hannah is, but still treats it as totally normal.  I don't know what to make of him, and that's interesting.

He Mary Gaitskilled the shit out of it in that episode where he whacked off in front of Hannah. Some deep, twisted shit in that scene, which also had some laughs, I must admit, and it's hard to accomplish those two so well in a scene like that.

In total agreement. I despised the first episode; hated it with the white-hot fury or 10,000 dying sons. I hated the second episode. The third episode knocked me over. The fourth one had its way with me. It's been having me ever since. And I think the episode about the warehouse party was perfectly observed and fantastically funny in about 200 different ways.

I take no joy in pointing out just how sickeningly wrong you are, but I feel  I must.
 "without a doubt the best comedy on TV now" 

Bull. Shit.VEEP in a MFing landslide!!!!

and sorry, I'm cussy today.

Someone else said it earlier, but I agree - I think I'm getting a little crush on lower_case_ryan this week, too! If you're not over on the Facebook with us, lc_r, um, why the hell not?

I'm on the facebook page, a little. I tried logging this thing with my facebook, but as someone else said, hello last name. But seriously, did disqus change in the last 12 hours? the layout/format of it is all new.

Dustin posted something on the Pajiba fb page about using a different format (or something like that) and was going to use it over the weekend to see how it works.

Few things:

1) You're absolutely right. The show has improved a lot since the pilot. In that ep, when Hannah slid out of her seat and threw a 20-something tantrum, I wanted to reach through the screen, give her a smack, and yell "GROW THE FUCK UP!" However, over time she's grown on me, and it's definitely become a must watch for me on Sunday nights. There's a truthfulness to it that I really enjoy. However, best new comedy? For my money "Veep" has it beat. They are vastly different styles of comedy, though.

2) I know people think Adam is funny, and yes, he is. But he's also a bit of a sociopath, and the arc of his and Hannah's relationship is troubling to me. It continues to espouse the notion that "fixer-upper" men are the best kind to have. Not that Marnie's milquetoast boyfriend is any better, but there MUST be some sort of middle ground. In a show that feels so truthful, it just reads as an idealistic viewpoint. However, I've never been a 20-something woman, so maybe it IS truthful, and I just find it galling.

3) Jemima Kirke is like a living Botticelli painting. I thought she was weird looking the first time I saw her, but every week I find her classic appearance more and more appealing. Also? She's funny as fuck.

4) Allison Williams is gorgeous, but every time she curses or is involved in a sex scene, for some reason I think "I wonder what Brian Williams thinks of this show?" Also, am I the only one who finds her character to essentially be a shell of a person, with a shiny facade of "this is what people think I should be, so this is what I am"?

5) Shoshanna might be one of my all time favorite TV characters.

Many people have been horribly unkind about Lena Dunham's appearance--I think she's reasonably attractive, but she has the dumbest-ass look on her face all the fucking time.  Mouth slightly open, dead behind the eyes, and it just drives me crazy. 

20 more reasons why this show sucks and I hate it.

It's a funny show. The women may be "dicks" but they still have more depth than any male dicks I've seen represented in comedies. 

I think she can work on her craft ON HBO, with some great mentors. Why the hell not? Seriously, this is easily in the top 10% of TV right now. 

Because if you're still "working on [your] craft" you don't need to be doing it on HBO.  Kim Kardashian has paid more dues than Lena Dunham, and arguably plays a less unpleasant character.

You really don't get it if you feel this way about the show... 

It's possible that I don't get it because I'm not a spoiled 20-something with a trust fund.

I know I'm late to this conversation, but I have such trouble with this argument. I've never seen Girls, so I'm not committed either way to this particular show, but people saying "I'm not [x] so I won't enjoy media about [x]" validates the assumption that white people won't watch movies with black leads, or that men won't watch movies with female leads. I know that moneyed 20-somethings aren't exactly a disenfranchised group, but so much of the criticism toward the show is very gendered and it is, in fact, succeeding in ghettoizing it.

Entourage, for instance, was also full of assholes, but somehow it hasn't been plagued with nearly the same kind of relentless criticism that Girls has. And again, I haven't seen Girls, but I did watch Entourage, and it's not exactly like that show was a masterpiece of writing or characterization, or something that would seem to set it on another level from Girls.

If I had said, "Man, I hate 'Girls,' but I sure loved 'Entourage' and will defend it to the death!" that would have been a cue to discuss a double standard. Unfortunately, I said no such thing, so bringing an 'Entourage' double standard into the discussion is setting up a straw man.

Oh, nice. I've disagreed with people, so I'm getting anonymous downvotes! Who could have predicted that?

Ok, ignore the Entourage part if you want (which was, I felt, pretty obviously not directed at you specifically, but rather used as an example of a show that has also moneyed asshole main characters but didn't seem to engender "I can't relate to this movie star and his friends so I won't watch this show!" comments), but no response to the first half of what I said? I can play logical fallacies too! You've turned my "straw man" into a red herring by failing to address the actual argument and instead dismissing a throwaway example.

I have watched the first few episodes of "Girls." Didn't like it at all, have no desire to watch it further, wouldn't have bothered commenting if the accompanying article hadn't seemed so smug.

Hmm. No entendres were intended when using "depth" and "dicks" in the same sentence.

nah

I want to add that putting Girls up against shows like GoT and Mad Men really displays Lena Dunham's inexperience as a writer. She needs a few years to work on her craft before receiving a slot on HBO.

It isn't really put up against GoT. I started watching Veep and Girls because they aired directly after GoT. After the dismal first episode, the strong timeslot afforded by the stronger shows that precede Girls is why I continued to watch the show. I'm certainly glad I did, as the last 2 episodes have been genuinely great TV.

Also, why has nobody called out Dustin for "13. The Only Difference Between Jessa and an Apatow Character is Her Vagina"

ALL of the characters on Girls are Apatow characters. He produces the fucking show (and Bridesmaids too for that matter). Its almost like he wants to continue the inane "gender wars" controversy surrounding the show rather than discuss its actual merits. I don't understand why people are so critical/defensive of this show. Its good, but not particularly groundbreaking. Why was there no such media hysteria when Golden Girls premiered?

Yeah!!?? What Ben said.... I STILL watch Golden Girls because that was one of the best oneliners/zingers shows onTV.... plus I like slutty Blanche... she makes me giggle.

Sorry I wasn't clear about the GoT and Mad Men part. In this post, Dustin brought up those two shows and I just meant that when you put these three shows together, the flaws of Girls stand out more obviously than when it stands alone. But I do acknowledge that the writing for GoT and MM is on a level beyond most shows on television right now.

And I do agree with your take on Apatow. The show's criticisms have died down and I noticed its praises have gone up. I don't hate the show, I'm just not impressed (like you said, it's not groundbreaking). But you might have just pointed out why I'm not much of a fan of this show: it's because I really don't like Apatow's work, besides Freaks and Geeks. It has his style written all over this show.

Are you kidding? Girls is far better written than 90% of shows currently airing. I certainly hope they allow Dunham as much creative control over the next season. Because this show has been BRILLIANT so far.

Better than 90% of what's out there? We are clearly watching two different shows.

Teaching someone how to swim by throwing them in the deep end can often yield results.

/"YOU GONNA LEARN TODAY! ARIGHT ARIGHT ARIIIIIIIIIGHT"

She's a strong, funny writer who, at 24, struggles a bit to define her characters and their place in the world. Even given my problems with the show, I'd say that's pretty impressive at her age. 

Sure, she's good for her age, but she still needs to work on her writing skills.  Because I'm good at my job at my age, it shouldn't allow me to be qualified as a Controller or CFO. I'm not saying she can't write for HBO, I'm saying that her inexperience really shows as the head writer.

Please watch Girls: ugly people bone too.

/sorry still coming down from Lady Talisa of the Fine Ass

"ugly people bone too"... Oh no, no, that would be Sex and the City. The ladies of Girls are average looking, not ugly.

 The girls on GIRLS aren't ugly. Just average. Lady Talisa of the Fine Ass(and the other absurdly beautiful women on GoT) just warp peoples brains.

It's not societies fault our lives are so miserable that we'v put a moratorium on having ugly people in acting. Hell, banning them from TV altogether might be the one thing that can put the company owners of TLC in front of a firing squad that forgot to put a blank in one of the guns.

please, we've been warped for a looooong time now.

 True. But GoT pushes things even further. Every woman is gorgeous, except the giant one. Who is kind of sexy in her own way.

Everyone in acting is better looking than actual human beings. Even the ugliest people on TV have skin almost completely free of pox scars, pretty nails, plucked eyebrows, a shaved neck, full red or pink lips, straight white teeth, and an even haircut. If they're old, they have hair that should've gone grey a decade ago, if they can't fix the grey anymore, they're made to look even sexier.

If you get paid money for people to stare at you, you're always going to look better than them. Besides, there's always been less ugly women in the world than ugly men.

The last episode made me stop watching the show entirely. I've been giving it chance after chance because my friends love it, but I can't get interested. The characters are very boring and they haven't developed a bit since episode 1. I'm told I should relate to the characters since I am also in my early 20s, but their lives are so different from mine. I can't even enjoy it as an "outsider looking in" either. The show has gotten easy to predict once you realize they each embody these stereotypes: the asshole, the free-spirit, the innocent virgin, and the uptight bitch.

Well, I've laughed a couple times at least.

Pretty much my feeling to. I just can't get into it. They really piss my off, so I just stopped watching. It's not even interesting in a guilty-pleasure or morbid curiosity way. Ah well. I'll just watch the equally shitty True Blood to fill the Game of Thrones hole...but it won't be the same.

I've loved this show since the first episode. I only wish half the people I recommend it to gave it a shot..

It's not better than Veep or Archer. It just isn't. The show is stronger than its critics contend and most people miss the point that the not all the characters are supposed to be likeable, but it remains highly hit or miss and tends to wander aimlessly for long periods of time (sorta like the characters, now that I think of it). 

Five episodes in and it's really starting to grow on me. I don't love the characters, but it's a fun way to pass a half hour.

I love "Girls", but this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... - is a pretty strong argument against it. The show really does fuckin' rule, though. Adam's "it doesn't make sense to get out now, there's pee on you" was one of the biggest laughs I've had in quite a while. 

Since I don't have a TV, and couldn't afford cable even if I did, I have to take your word for it that this show is actually great or something, since all the internet promos I see still look boring as SHIT. I'm really enjoying the Gawker recaps of each episode, though. I feel like I'm participating, and the sneering bitchiness makes me all warm and gooey inside my heart.

I think the quote that most accurately sums up my sentiment is "Stop trying to make 'fetch' happen."

i love this show a lot.  i find the girls and the situations they find themselves in, very relatable and makes me think back to the ye old days of my 20's..  the first couple episodes i wrote it off, but it really grew on me and now i love it.  i really can't believe all the hate it has generated on the internets, i guess its easy for people to misunderstand it.  i just think it keeps getting better with every episode.  Lena prevail!!

I didn't think the criticism was that the show was similar to Sex and the City.  I thought the criticism was that the characters are all complete dicks.  I guess you could say the same about the Sex and the City characters too, but I'd label them as more benignly annoying than dickish.  

The criticism/defense of this show is based entirely on bloggers wanting page views. Its only controversial because its controversial. The actual show is a solid HBO comedy with a younger than usual cast. "Journalists" just know that any gender-related article on the internet will immediately start a flame-war, which gets them plenty of business.